Equine Assisted Therapy and Horse Welfare

Equine assisted therapy uses horses to support human mental health and development. The welfare of therapy horses requires specific protection within these programmes.

Key Facts

Equine assisted therapy programmes operate in over 50 countries globally
Horses in therapy programmes interact with multiple unfamiliar participants daily
Stress indicators in therapy horses include tension, avoidance, ear-back and tail-swishing
Rest periods between sessions, choice to disengage and low-arousal environments are welfare requirements
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl) sets certification standards

Welfare Considerations

Therapy horses provide significant benefit to human participants, but their welfare must not be subordinated to therapeutic outcomes. Horses forced into human contact against their behavioural signals experience chronic stress. Well-designed programmes include regular monitoring of horse stress signals, choice-based interaction where horses can disengage, adequate rest periods, and annual welfare assessments by equine behaviour specialists. The concept of consent in therapy animal programmes - allowing animals to choose participation - is gaining traction and represents the ethical frontier in this sector.

What You Can Do

Support PATH Intl-certified therapy programmes with documented horse welfare protocols
Ask therapy programmes about their horse rotation, rest provisions and stress monitoring
Advocate for horse welfare assessment requirements in equine therapy programme licensing
Donate to organisations developing ethical guidelines for therapy animal welfare
Engage with equine behaviour research on consent and choice-based participation models